


Like A Rose

by acciogramander



Series: Flower Shop AU [1]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Credence Barebone just wants to pretty, Graves is SO INTO IT, M/M, Protective Original Percival Graves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-24
Updated: 2018-03-24
Packaged: 2019-04-07 12:34:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14081061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acciogramander/pseuds/acciogramander
Summary: Credence escapes his life under Mary Lou Barebone's thumb -- he gets a job working at a flower shop owned by the Scamander Brothers, and that's where he meets Percival Graves. The man is immediately enamored with the beautiful boy. Enjoy.





	Like A Rose

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dontyoudarestiles](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dontyoudarestiles/gifts).



> So this small ficlet was inspired by this post [this post](http://dontyoudarestiles.tumblr.com/post/172188081975/flower-shop-au) and a chat I had with @dontyoudarestiles on Tumblr! Enjoy. c:

It's not easy, starting over.

After everything Credence went through for twenty one years living with his Ma, he's got scars that litter his pale skin that would make even the strongest man blanch. His self confidence is all but non existent thanks to clothes that don't fit and hair that is much too short and uneven. People don't look at him, people don't talk to him. For the longest time, he fancied himself a ghost -- an apparition that people just looked right though as they carried on with their busy, happy lives. He'd accepted that.

But then the Goldsteins had happened -- beautiful and quick witted Queenie, with her pretty golden curls that he was secretly jealous of, swathed in delicate pink and gorgeous makeup. For the longest time, he wished that he could just look like her, and that scared him. He started praying to God to take those unnatural thoughts out of his head, to save the soul he was sure was already damned.

But Tina, his best friend, seemed to see right through him, to the very heart of him, and understood his longing. "You're not unnatural or damned, Credence, you're just different." She'd told him, and Queenie had chimed in, "Different is good, sweetie, and don't you worry -- we love you just the same." That was the day he had really started to accept who he was. He was never going to marry a girl, never going to go back to dressing the way he had before. No, he'd let his hair grow out into soft midnight curls, wore skinny jeans he bought with his pay from the flower shop and the lipgloss Queenie taught him to apply. For the first time in his life, Credence was comfortable in his own skin.

\---

The last thing Credence had expected this morning was for a man to come storming in, slam a wad of cash down on the counter, and ask in a low and husky voice, how to convey 'Fuck you' to someone through flowers.

"I'm sorry, sir, but could you repeat that?" He was blinking wide, owlish eyes up at the older man -- He was an imposing figure, dressed in a finely tailored three-piece, with dark coffee eyes and the grey threading through his hair. Credence's poor little heart just about flipped just at the sight of this handsome man. The man snorted, sighed, and said in a much calmer voice, "How do you say 'fuck you' in flower?"  
For the first time, he seemed to look straight at the boy. He was a slim thing, willowy and tall -- and completely and utterly beautiful. Miles of creamy skin, full lips that seemed soft from where he was standing, slick with shimmery pink lip gloss. He couldn't seem to stop staring at his lips and Credence blushed as he spoke. Graves almost missed what he was saying completely.

"Well, sir --"  
"Graves. Percival Graves."  
Credence cleared his throat, flushed, and tried again. "Well, Mister Graves, geraniums stand for stupidity, meadowsweet conveys uselessness, yellow carnations stand for 'you have disappointed me' and orange lilies stand for hatred." Credence listed off the flowers on his fingers, "All in all, it would be a very aesthetically pleasing bouquet, and a good way to... pass on the message to the person you're trying to send it to."

Percival was distracted by the peek of tongue and sharp kitten teeth he could see when Credence opened his mouth -- really, he was just completely and utterly obsessed with the boy and lipgloss and his sweet pink lips. It seemed that he had found the absolute perfect flower shop to storm into. "Good. I'll take one bouquet with all of those flowers and a coffee on your break."

Credence went to ring up the bouquet of flowers and nearly froze where he was standing. "A... coffee?" Was this man asking him out? No way was a man like that, with his handsome face and expensive suit, was asking him out. "M-my break is at three." It was only about one o'clock at the moment.

Percival didn't seem worried. If anything, he seemed determined. "I can come back, but only if you want to go out with me. If not, I'll understand. You can say no, my boy." It was gutsy, using a nickname, but he knew he'd made the right choice when the delicate flush came back to Credence's face. "I'll take that as a yes?" He sounded extremely hopeful, who could say no to that?

"... I would love to, Percival."


End file.
